Paths revamp to aid pupils

Pupils at Poulton St Chad's Primary School in Poulton have to take their life in their hands on every trip to the church because of the narrow pavement on Hardhorn Road.'Youngsters are shielded by staff as they walk to the church. PIC BY ROB LOCK'20-7-2012

Parents are being encouraged to leave their cars at home and either cycle or walk to school with their children.

Wyre Council has secured £15,000 in funding from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to address Poulton’s air quality.

The authority plan to tackle this by widening and creating new pathways and make it easier for schoolchildren to swap the bus or their parent’s car for a bike.

A new path between Poulton St Chad’s Primary School and Elizabeth Court is one of the routes set to be revamped along with the widening of an existing path from Moorland Road, near Hodgson Academy, to Station Road.

Coun Roger Berry, Wyre Council’s neighbourhood services portfolio holder, said: “The funding has been obtained to try and improve the air quality in Poulton and one of the ways to do this is to encourage people to walk or cycle and leave their vehicles at home.

“Two of the schemes involve schoolchildren around Hardhorn Road because that’s a path for them to get to and from school.

“We will also widen the path next to Hodgson Academy so we can get a route in place for cyclists to get around as well.”

Wyre Council has already launched a £10,000 reward scheme to primary school pupils who walk or cycle to school.

The youngest pupils were given a badge if they did not get a lift to school at least once a week while secondary school pupils received health lessons on the benefits of cycling and walking.

Coun Berry added: “Young people in general are very knowledgeable and they realise air quality is important and the importance of getting exercise when they can.

“We’ve had preliminary discussions with the schools and they are supportive, but we also need to speak with other partners about the cost.”

Alysha Richardson, of Wyre Cycles, on Hardhorn Road, Poulton, says walking or cycling to school is very important.

She said: “It’s something we would support because it will save the environment.

“This is going to help a lot of people and it’s important for them to do it because pupils will be more awake in the morning.

“It will make going to school in the morning easier because if they are cycling there they have something to look forward to.”